Anyone else struggling with HAPPINESS? What is HAPPINESS anyway? Where do you find it? Where do you let it find you? Today’s short, yet sweet, video will help quickly re-direct you!

If you don’t know what facilitates or creates the by-product of happiness in your life you will never attain a life worth living. If you want to let go of your unhappiness check out this week’s Coach Me Maria video blog. It will help you light your way to your life’s purpose! Nothing feels better than that because your life is ALWAYS calling you! The pain you feel is not being able to answer the call. If you are reading this it’s time to answer it… Start today! Start here! Start now!… because you were born to live out your life’s purpose!

Great big hugs,

Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

🙂

PS One way to find your way to your happiness… check out the HAPPY ME RETREAT… it is designed to challenge your fears and uncover your joys… WARNING: Following this formula leads to finding and living your life’s purpose. It is only for those who want to really live life out loud!

Every guru in the world will tell you the secret to living a truly happy life is…. (drum roll)… to live in the moment. Ok, seems easy enough, but most of us find it almost impossible. We get so frustrated, in fact, that many of us start “doing” or “buying” a lot of other “stuff” so we can distract ourselves!

I’m in a phase where I SEE my life’s purpose. I KNOW what it is with every fiber of my body and it fills me with SUCH joy when I do this work of bridging people from the old ways of fear into the new ways of living from love! At the end of every coaching call or workshop I feel and see how powerful my work is and I am humbled by how very amazing it feels… to everyone!!!! This is simply what I was born to do!!!!!!! (Side note: Many people ask me, “How do you know it’s ‘right’ for you?” Well, how you know is that it feels good, the kind of feel good that leaves you fuller and lighter at the same time!)

To get to this point of knowing my calling (just got a flash from the first Matrix movie) there had to have been a lot of living in the moment because that is where ALL of your life’s juice is. Projecting into the future or living in the past are destructive tools of the ego and fear. They are draining and dangerous to your life’s light and cause a great “heaviness”. Those who lead incredible lives have learned to juice up by living in the present moment.

It is truly simple to live in the present moment if you don’t make it too complex or big. The challenge is that we start our day attached to our SHOULDs (what should/needs to get done today) and our TO DO LISTS. Here in Portugal, and in Europe, in general, people don’t live so much like that, yet they still get things done. The secret is that they live a lot more in the moment. They stop even for ten minutes, for example, and connect with their neighbors at their local café. In America, we tend to go to get our “fix”, not to connect. See the difference?

Living in the moment is really the most rewarding thing you can ever do because it’s like being on a vacation all the time. Think about it. Those people who go on vacation do so because they want to escape their lives. Just like those people who live for the weekend. I don’t know about you, but time is precious so being ok with hating most of your life is not how I want to live! When you live in the moment you begin to understand that you are in a dance with the universe, always getting valuable feedback that allows you to self-correct and live happy. We resonate best, live our best, happiest lives when we vibrate at this level. There is nothing more powerful than that.

Sometimes I’m soooo into the doing that I forget to do it with JOY so being HAPPY is my main goal of 2013. Many people think that is nuts but because it is so basic, many of us assume wrongly that we already are. I was one of those people.

Yesterday, I was writing my book and kept being interrupted by my adorable five year old, Isabella, whom I did not see as adorable at the time 😉 Instead of fighting it, I went with it. I surprised her by grabbing the colorful sticky notes in front of me and my magical big-girl pens. We started writing and drawing and giving her my FULL attention. She was in heaven. I was in heaven. We stuck notes on each other and had moments of long hugs and kisses as she sat on my lap, looking into my eyes and smiling. It was in those precious moments that I drank in her waning littleness and touched upon how quickly it all goes. It brought me so much joy that my heart almost burst out of my chest. Funny thing was that it did not last hours. It lasted the perfect amount of time and when it was done I had plenty of space (and inspiration) to write and Isabella was glowing with the fact her mommy had seen and loved her in a way that she felt completely loved and safe. Imagine that! Win-win!

The ugly truth is that I’ve been through phases in my life where I have resented my children. I am shocked by this even as I write it because I became a mom later in life and dreamed of having children for such a long time! The truth is that many parents hide this resentment on one level for fear of how it will look/sound, but in the meantime their ability to parent erodes. They begin hurting the very people they love the most. Let’s not judge, let’s acknowledge, know we are doing the best we can with what we have and move to a more PRESENT place. The simple fact is that when you are not taking care of yourself, which includes time JUST FOR YOU, you are unable to be a good parent, or have the happy life you see for yourself. That’s all there is to it!

Great big hugs,
Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

🙂

Doing more yoga. This time on the beach in Carcavelos with Mialotta and our doggie “Tejo”

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? MORE WAYS TO FEED YOUR SOUL TO START 2013 OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT!…

√ COACHING: For those who want a coach with a lot of heart, I’m here to help you get rid of your blocks and go towards your goal. I’m living what I have been teaching clients for nearly two decades. Whether you are curious or serious send me an email to maria@butterflymoms.com to set up a time to get you to your first step. For those who want something to shift in their lives this is a great time!!!

√ INTERVIEW: Here is the magnificent ButteflyMoms interview on Nancy L. Cantor‘s Dream Factory Television Show… I hope you watch it and that it feeds your soul! ! http://vimeo.com/30095902

√ BOOKS FOR SALE:“Mom Entrepreneur Extraordinaire” See list below for all the places in the world where this book has been sold! Last year I co-authored the book ENTREPRENEUR MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE. If you have been thinking about starting a business or want to take your business to the next level this is a wonderful way to start. WAY cheaper than going back to school…and very helpful! To feed the soul of a friend, buy them a copy by CLICKING HERE NOW… http://bit.ly/gRxe4U. Feel part of the magic below and see where in the world people have bought this book…

WHAT IS BUTTERFLYMOMS?ButterflyMoms is a community of people who realize they are souls first and human being second. They want to explore more about themselves, to find out what makes them happy and how they can lead a life of purpose. It is simply about FEEDING YOUR SOUL. Although it has the name “MOMS” in the title it is more about being nurturing to your own transformation, as the butterfly is to its own metamorphosis. This community is led by Maria Salomão-Schmidt whose transformation was ignited by the birth and death of her BELOVED thirteen month old daughter Sophia (Sophalicious), the original butterfly.

*Every Friday Morning, as a way of honoring her daughter Sophia’s soul, Maria writes the weekly BUTTERFLYMOMS BLOG. Hundreds of people read it every week to feed their souls. Maria started writing the blog in May 2009 and has written EVERY Friday since. Maria is a Reiki master and every time you read it you are showered with healing love. Tell your friends… http://butterflymoms.wordpress.com and spread the love!!! FEED YOUR SOUL!!!!!

When you sit down to read this blog you never know what is coming because the flavor is different each time. There are times when I sit down to write when I wish I could give you the power of ULTRA LASER FOCUS to drop away all the other distractions in your life and see directly from your heart… This is that post!

Today, is International Women’s Day. Being a “woman” is something that for most of us is something we completely take for granted. We simply don’t pay a lot of attention to this part of ourselves. How many days do you wake up and think about being a WOMAN? Might seem like an odd question but much of how you live your life is deeply based on how you perceive your gender. What you were taught, as well as what you rejected form how you let yourself be treated, what you are willing to accept and what you will reach out for!

Most of the people who read my blog are of a certain educational level. By that I mean that you at least need to be able to read (and in English) and have access to electricity and a computer. Most of the world’s women still don’t have the simple opportunity to even learn, to be safe, to not be cut, to own land, to have a voice. Those commercials of half-naked brown babies screaming in pain asking for us to sponsor them for the price of a cup of coffee have jaded us. Most of us change the channel. I know I do because I don’t connect to it.

At Christmas time we have all at one time or other sent or received cards that with PEACE ON EARTH printed over an idyllic holiday scene or pics of your ever-growing cute kids, but what do we do to create PEACE ON EARTH? There is no peace without safety, food, shelter first. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Well if a large number of the women of our planet do not have access to these three things our entire world is BROKEN. The deep pain and misery that reverberates from that brokenness is our world today.

Sure you feel it and it feels icky, but really “What does this have to do with you?” We are all one. We are all connected. No real peace can come to you when our entire planet is this type of crisis mode. THERE IS NO “THEM”! THERE IS ONLY “US” and “WE”. Our whole planet is energetically shifting and we can all feel it reverberating. If you are still trying to HOLD on to the old paradigm you are having a REALLY HARD time because those “rules” no longer fit emotionally, physically, psychologically or energetically.

A book that will absolutely change your world is HALF THE SKY. It is a book that will help you live a more authentic life! Do yourself a favor and give yourself the gift of watching the trailer….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRfDzznfEOU from there here are things things you can do even if you may have little money and or time but there are ways you can make a difference…

WORK ON YOU – the best way to make the world a better place is to start working on yourself. Now some will say that we are already perfect and there is nothing to work on and that is true, except that we take that perfection and add shit to it that adulterates (hey, do you like me dropping in my 6th grade vocabulary word, eh? Mrs. Grambolini would be proud! 😉 our life’s joy. Joy is a current that never stops in our life, we just drop SHOULD boulders on it and cut off our happiness.

HELP THE “CONVERSATION” GO VIRAL – If you can see the entire movie. If you can’t just share the clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRfDzznfEOU on all your social media sites. Share this blog and help get the word out. Call one good friend that you have been meaning to call anyway, grab a tea and even from your different locations watch it together wherever you both are. Talk about it, which leads me to #3…

PLAY WITH IT (BIRTH CHANGE) INTO THE WORLD – Pick one action item to accomplish or organization to support. Energetically you will rejuvenate your whole life! It can be something easy. It just has to feel really good to you!

I part with this beautiful song sent to me by a woman, Kate Lamontagne who does an incredible job at building community in a little, beautiful New England town in Holliston, Massachusetts in the United States of America. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Dnq2QeCvwpw#!

Great big hugs,

Mariaaaaaaaaaa

🙂

PS FOR THOSE WHO CAN HANDLE SOMETHING EXTRA SPECIAL, check this out… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGsVrawY5j0 :)!!!!

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? MORE WAYS TO FEED YOUR SOUL TO START 2013 OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT!…

√ COACHING: For those who want a coach with a lot of heart, I’m here to help you get rid of your blocks and go towards your goal. I’m living what I have been teaching clients for nearly two decades. Whether you are curious or serious send me an email to maria@butterflymoms.com to set up a time to get you to your first step. For those who want something to shift in their lives this is a great time!!!

√ INTERVIEW: Here is the magnificent ButteflyMoms interview on Nancy L. Cantor‘s Dream Factory Television Show… I hope you watch it and that it feeds your soul! ! http://vimeo.com/30095902

√ BOOKS FOR SALE:“Mom Entrepreneur Extraordinaire” See list below for all the places in the world where this book has been sold! Last year I co-authored the book ENTREPRENEUR MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE. If you have been thinking about starting a business or want to take your business to the next level this is a wonderful way to start. WAY cheaper than going back to school…and very helpful! To feed the soul of a friend, buy them a copy by CLICKING HERE NOW… http://bit.ly/gRxe4U. Feel part of the magic below and see where in the world people have bought this book…

WHAT IS BUTTERFLYMOMS?ButterflyMoms is a community of people who realize they are souls first and human being second. They want to explore more about themselves, to find out what makes them happy and how they can lead a life of purpose. It is simply about FEEDING YOUR SOUL. Although it has the name “MOMS” in the title it is more about being nurturing to your own transformation, as the butterfly is to its own metamorphosis. This community is led by Maria Salomão-Schmidt whose transformation was ignited by the birth and death of her BELOVED thirteen month old daughter Sophia (Sophalicious), the original butterfly.

*Every Friday Morning, as a way of honoring her daughter Sophia’s soul, Maria writes the weekly BUTTERFLYMOMS BLOG. Hundreds of people read it every week to feed their souls. Maria started writing the blog in May 2009 and has written EVERY Friday since. Maria is a Reiki master and every time you read it you are showered with healing love. Tell your friends… http://butterflymoms.wordpress.com and spread the love!!! FEED YOUR SOUL!!!!!

This is the first blog in 2012. It is also the 201st original ButterflyMoms blog ever written!!! 🙂 I am super proud of that because I’m one of those people who starts so many things that many don’t get completely “done”.

Writing the ButterflyMoms blog “stuck” because I LINKED it to the memory of my daughter Sophia and used it as a way to honor her memory… in a way it’s a way I still get to be her mama… Over the years, because of this love she and I have for each other, I have been inspired to write at least once a week for the last four years, no matter what…pregnancies, wiping butts, deaths, illnesses, travel, lack of sleep, work, kids, housework, clients, business deals…somehow…. Because I attached a HUGE HUGE HUGE MEANING to my WHY of doing it. So inside my head it feels like this…

Each Friday morning I have a plan to write the beloved ButterflyMoms blog… Some weeks my brain/ego kicks in and starts “reminding” me of all the “stuff” I “should” be doing. I immediately start feeling the pressure of how many things need to be tended to. Being overwhelmed creates a sort of shut-down process with me starting to move away from my task of writing and more into the JUNK OF LIVING from MY TO DO LIST instead of from MY HEART.

The ButterflyMoms blog is different for me though because it as soon as a hit a certain level of distance from doing it, the FEAR of not doing it kicks in which OVERRIDES the downward decline. I feel a surge of adrenaline and move straight-away into energetically and psychically making ‘finishing the blog’ the number one priority of that day. Now sometimes it takes two hours and sometimes it takes thirteen but once I start I ALWAYS FINISH! I cannot even imagine not finishing, really. No two blogs are ever “birthed” the same way but the amount of energy I am given gives me the “fuel” to finish it EVERY time.

It is a miraculous experience with so many gifts. I am deeply honored that soooooo many people over the years have read and loved the ButterflyMoms blog. You are obviously one of those people, so no matter where you are in the world, my deepest gratitude goes out to you! :)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How does today’s ButterflyMoms blog relate to you? Well, if you are reading this there is at least one lesson in here for you. What struck a cord for you? Expand on that to get your own specific answers that fit your own specific journey. I have seen enough to believe that EVERY experience is a guided one. EVERY path is the “right” path for what we need in that very moment. I don’t always embrace that when I’m living my life, but when I do I see the amazing wonderment in the world! It is fantastic! It is breath-giving! It is, above all, worth it! 🙂

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you the most magical and amazing 2013!!!!! The ButterflyMoms blog is my gift to you. Each Friday throughout the year I will sit down, no matter where I am in the world, and GIVE YOU something yummy to feed your beautiful soul.

Great big hugs,
Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

🙂

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? MORE WAYS TO FEED YOUR SOUL TO START 2013 OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT!…

√ WORKSHOP: Wednesday, January 8th. HOW TO PROPERLY DEAL WITH THE TOP FOUR DEADLY DREAM KILLERS WORKSHOP… Start 2013 with some powerful tools! Scientists now know that we are all made up of energy. As children most of us were never taught how to intentionally use our energy to magnetize and create the dreams we hold in our hearts. Are you curious as to how to better use your energy? Want stop bumping into the walls of your life and start living in alignment with your life’s purpose? Come get some respite from all that thinking and efforting! Get many of your why’s answered and feel better about living your happy life! Doors open at 9:45am. Starts promptly at 10:00am-12:00pm. Amazing ocean views at Quiosque Bar http://qb-quiosquebar.blogspot.pt/, Avenida Marginal, Praia de Paço de Arcos, 2770-210 Paço de Arcos, Portugal. Fee is 25€ at door. Sign up right now and get in for only 20€. Do it here..http://tinyurl.com/cslw7l4 See you there!!!!!!! Please RSVP so that we can plan accordingly.

√ WORKSHOP: Thursday, January 24th. MAKING 2013 MY BEST YEAR! … Every January there is a hope that life will get better yet life seems to take over and we lose control of our vision. Come to this amazing open workshop that will share some of the very tools you need to truly accomplish your life’s mission! Can’t build a house without a hammer and nails…so come get your energetic hammer and nails! Lots of laughing and learning! Doors open at 9:45am. Starts promptly at 10:00am-12:00pm. Amazing ocean views at Quiosque Bar http://qb-quiosquebar.blogspot.pt/, Avenida Marginal, Praia de Paço de Arcos, 2770-210 Paço de Arcos, Portugal. Fee is 25€ at door. Sign up right now and get in for only 20€. Do it here..http://tinyurl.com/cslw7l4 See you there!!!!!!! Please RSVP so that we can plan accordingly.

√ COACHING: For those who want a coach with a lot of heart, I’m here to help you get rid of your blocks and go towards your goal. I’m living what I have been teaching clients for nearly two decades. Whether you are curious or serious send me an email to maria@butterflymoms.com to set up a time to get you to your first step. For those who want something to shift in their lives this is a great time!!!

√ INTERVIEW: Here is the magnificent ButteflyMoms interview on Nancy L. Cantor‘s Dream Factory Television Show… I hope you watch it and that it feeds your soul! ! http://vimeo.com/30095902

My girls and our little old doggie.

√ BOOKS FOR SALE:“Mom Entrepreneur Extraordinaire” See list below for all the places in the world where this book has been sold! Last year I co-authored the book ENTREPRENEUR MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE. If you have been thinking about starting a business or want to take your business to the next level this is a wonderful way to start. WAY cheaper than going back to school…and very helpful! To feed the soul of a friend, buy them a copy by CLICKING HERE NOW… http://bit.ly/gRxe4U. Feel part of the magic below and see where in the world people have bought this book…

WHAT IS BUTTERFLYMOMS?ButterflyMoms is a community of people who realize they are souls first and human being second. They want to explore more about themselves, to find out what makes them happy and how they can lead a life of purpose. It is simply about FEEDING YOUR SOUL. Although it has the name “MOMS” in the title it is more about being nurturing to your own transformation, as the butterfly is to its own metamorphosis. This community is led by Maria Salomão-Schmidt whose transformation was ignited by the birth and death of her BELOVED thirteen month old daughter Sophia (Sophalicious), the original butterfly.

*Every Friday Morning, as a way of honoring her daughter Sophia’s soul, Maria writes the weekly BUTTERFLYMOMS BLOG. Hundreds of people read it every week to feed their souls. Maria started writing the blog in May 2009 and has written EVERY Friday since. Maria is a Reiki master and every time you read it you are showered with healing love.

Right now in your life…are you surrounded by people who lift you up or bring you down? Take a moment to think about those you speak to and see the most… your co-workers, friends, kids, family, mate, neighbors, parents… Do they let you be you? Do they help you ALIGN with your life’s purpose? Do they help you increase your joy? And what about you? Do you create this support for those around you? Are you a beacon for others’ authenticity or do you want to mold people into what you want them to be, so that they embrace the safe, happy, appropriate life you envision for them? Hmmmm?

REALLY EASY right now to get defensive and pull back. That is an option but one that shuts down the learning flow. Just for a moment, even if you are feeling “icky”, stay in that icky vibe. Let it process through you and then release it. In the end we are all doing the best we can with what we know and as Maya Angelou says when we know better we do better! 🙂

I’m realizing that I do this a lot with people closest to me. I have an idea of what would keep them safe and I hold that for them. I am WAY better at releasing this than I used to be, still it’s a journey. Noticing when I do it. Why notice it? Well, it’s the only way to release it. This is simply another form of JUDGING. Not so many generations ago this was how people survived, but things are different now. Judgment is a FORM OF FEAR. It leaks your vital energy out from your energetic container. People who do the deepest, most effective type of energy work are strongly disciplined in *Cleaning *Filling and *Protecting their energy container for the more that is done, the more intuition hits you get, the more you can hear your guides.

Yesterday was my very first ButterflyMoms Workshop in the Europe! It felt AWESOME!!! This time it was HOW TO BUILD YOUR INTUITION…They learned how to maintain their energetic containers and even did some visualization exercises. We also incorporated the power of the ocean as it was our glorious view for the workshop. It felt WUNDERBAH that although I’ve only been here a short time, that it was rainy and that I only booked it less than a week ago, I had four people from all over the world enthusiastically show up! I love that I am living my dream of BEING THE FIRE THAT IGNITES PEOPLE’s SOUL!!!! Be careful… it’s VERY CONTAGIOUS!!!!

During the workshop I told the story of when I was living in San Francisco and had really risen in the ranks of speakers to the point where I was a keynote speaker. I was doing a keynote address to a group of almost 1,000 people. Afterwards, even though 30 people had lined up to congratulate me and thank me, I disregarded what they said and listened instead to a man who yelled at me for doing the worst job as a speaker that he has ever seen. I literally let it affect me so deeply that I stopped speaking in public… for years.

Energetically speaking I had not worked on the maintenance of my energetic container. It was weak and he ruptured it. That would never happen today because I now better understand the laws of energy. It was a painful lesson but also a really important one for me…and now you get the benefits so that you don’t have to necessarily go through the same pain.

Great big hugs,

Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

EVEN MORE WAYS TO FEED YOUR SOUL…

√ COACHING: For those who want a coach with a lot of heart, I’m here to help you get rid of your blocks and go towards your goal. I’m living what I have been teaching clients for nearly two decades. Whether you are curious or serious send me an email to maria@butterflymoms.com to set up a time to get you to your first step. For those who want something to shift in their lives this is a great time!!!

√ INTERVIEW: Here is the magnificent ButteflyMoms interview on Nancy L. Cantor‘s Dream Factory Television Show… I hope you watch it and that it feeds your soul! ! http://vimeo.com/30095902

An example of what traditional Portuguese kitchens look like… if this kitchen could talk! Ahhhhhhh YUMMY!!!!

√ BOOKS FOR SALE: One “Mom Entrepreneur Extraordinaire” book sold this week in Hudson, MA! See list below for all the places in the world where this book has been sold! Last year I co-authored the book ENTREPRENEUR MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE. If you have been thinking about starting a business or want to take your business to the next level this is a wonderful way to start. WAY cheaper than going back to school…and very helpful! To feed the soul of a friend, buy them a copy by CLICKING HERE NOW… http://bit.ly/gRxe4U. Feel part of the magic below and see where in the world people have bought this book…

WHAT IS BUTTERFLYMOMS?ButterflyMoms is a community of people who realize they are souls first and human being second. They want to explore more about themselves, to find out what makes them happy and how they can lead a life of purpose. It is simply about FEEDING YOUR SOUL. Although it has the name “MOMS” in the title it is more about being nurturing to your own transformation, as the butterfly is to its own metamorphosis. This community is led by Maria Salomão-Schmidt whose transformation was ignited by the birth and death of her BELOVED thirteen month old daughter Sophia (Sophalicious), the original butterfly.

*Every Friday Morning, as a way of honoring her daughter Sophia’s soul,

Mialotta takes part in the performance with the amazing group director José Marques in Lisboa.

Maria writes the weekly BUTTERFLYMOMS BLOG. Hundreds of people read it every week to feed their souls. Maria started writing the blog in May 2009 and has written EVERY Friday since. Maria is a Reiki master and every time you read it you are showered with healing love.

Last night’s ButterflyMoms Soul Support group was spectacular! Those who showed up are oftentimes a good indicator or what is going on in our society. Women, especially, are taught to put others first, no matter the cost. It is mostly automatic and deeply ingrained by our society. We’re on a treadmill for most of our days, uncomfortably wrapped up, in our never-ending to do lists. We get up, do our tasks, pay our bills, take care of our kids, try to make time for our mate (if we have one). We cram as much into each day as we can so we can “arrive” at the magical place in our heads where we can finally REST and simply BE.

The key to this is HOW YOU START YOUR DAY…for when you get up you consciously or subconsciously SET YOUR CHANNEL FOR THE DAY. If you are not consciously focusing on the things you want then almost guaranteed you are blindly and painfully following whatever has had the most influence. Could be advertising. (Before you “pooh pooh” this idea remember that there is a reason why people spend trillions of dollars on advertising. Trends, fashion, habits are all formed through the images they feed our brains.) Could also be the fear voice in your head or the voices of well-meaning people from your past who rent out space in your head.

To change the direction of your life start at the beginning … the beginning of EVERY day is the time when the rest of your day sets its trajectory. For most of us we just get up and automatically start our day without any intention or conscious thought. This is a recipe for depression and an unfulfilled life. What we shared yesterday at the ButterflyMoms Soul Support group was how to do it. How to pick a ritual that fits your life and becomes a habit. Why it is important. What is the best way to do it. I love when you see the blocks fall away and energy going back into people. They have a glow about them. There were a lot of glowing people there yesterday.

“SUCCESS” no matter how you define it is germinated and nurtured in the effortless, simple, little things we do day after day, moreso that sudden HUGE action that you hope will one day come but never really does for most of us. So if you are reading this you have a choice to stay the course of where your life is heading or change it. We all have a lot of “tools” to make that happen but they are somewhere in the corner of our lives. It is time to dust them off and make good use of what you already know and seek out the additional support and tools you may need so that you attract the EXTRA-ORDINARY LIFE that is always there waiting for you to show up in your life.

Great big hugs,

Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

🙂

PS Please leave a comment today. You never know how sharing what you feel affects others in a liberating way! Please take a moment and write something. It is an act of love and truly means a lot!

WHAT IS BUTTERFLYMOMS?
ButterflyMoms is a community of people who realize they are souls first and human being second. They want to explore more about themselves, to find out what makes them happy and how they can lead a life of purpose. It is simply about FEEDING YOUR SOUL. Although it has the name “MOMS” in the title it is more about being nurturing to your own transformation, as the butterfly is to its own metamorphosis. This community is led by Maria Salomão-Schmidt whose transformation was ignited by the birth and death of her BELOVED thirteen month old daughter Sophia (Sophalicious), the original butterfly.

*Every Thursday Night we have a BUTTERFLYMOMS SOUL SUPPORT GROUP at 783 Washington Street in Holliston, MA at 8pm that feeds your soul. They started after Maria manifested her dream…with the help of Sophia…to be a guest on THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW and every week since she had done the SOUL SUPPORT GROUP on Thursday nights. There was only supposed to be one workshop but people kept asking to be able to come the next week and the next week and the next week until a whole year has gone by!!!!Any questions call my cell at 617.877.3616.

*Every Friday Morning, as a way of honoring her daughter Sophia’s soul, Maria gets up at 4:30-5:00am to write the weekly BUTTERFLYMOMS BLOG. Hundreds of people read it every week to feed their souls. Maria started writing the blog in May 2009 and has written EVERY Friday since. Tell your friends… http://butterflymoms.wordpress.com

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? MORE WAYS TO FEED YOUR SOUL…
√ Next BUTTERFLYMOMS SOUL SUPPORT GROUP is Thursday, August 2nd at 8pm. We’ve had to cancel the last two because of illness but this next one is on for sure!!!!! (knock on wood ). Only three groups left! It is a wonderful way to come learn to feed your magnificent soul!… The ButterflyMoms Soul Support Group grew out of the amazing experience had of being on of THE OPRAH SHOW’s very last guests. Now it’s your turn to come to this safe place where you can work out your blocks and talk about your dreams!!! Held at the offices of Brick House Realty (783 Washington S, Holliston, MA). Plenty of FREE & EASY PARKING in the back lot… and come right in the back entrance. Only $25, or just $20 if pay through Paypal http://bit.ly/mS7c70! Bring your friends!!! PLEASE RSVP to maria at butterflymoms dot com.

√ I have space for one more coaching/healing clients. If you are interested send me an email maria at butterflymoms dot com.

√ Here is the magnificent ButteflyMoms interview on Nancy L. Cantor‘s Dream Factory Television Show… I hope you watch it and that it feeds your soul! ! http://vimeo.com/30095902

√ No ENTREPRENEUR MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE books sold this week. If you have been thinking about starting a business or want to take your business to the next level this is a wonderful way to start. WAY cheaper than going back to school…and very helpful! To feed the soul of a friend buy them a copy by CLICKING HERE NOW… http://bit.ly/gRxe4U. PLUS each book is personally (and lovingly) autographed.

THE BOOK… “Mom Entrepreneur Extraordinaire”
The following is a list of places where ButterflyMoms live who bought our wonderful book, MOM ENTREPRENEUR EXTRAORDINAIRE… Buy one so you can put your part of the world on the list, like so many other beautiful ButterflyMoms have!

Take a moment and FEEL YOUR LIFE for a moment. Let the ICKIES fall away. Embrace the love. Forgive yourself for not living the perfect life your mind has tricked you into thinking you should be living. Just be. That is all that is needed for happiness.

Earlier this month our great grandfather turned 92 and as you can tell he is still very sassy… he even has a younger girlfriend who is in her 80’s! OH YA BABY! 😉

Hello Beautiful ButterflyMoms!

Today’s blog is a very simple one… it is a reminder simply to be grateful for what you have. The WONDERFUL thing about following the ButterflyMoms blog is that you get a slice of the journey going deeper into joy. No matter what level of your goals you attain, the “ickies” never go away. Some people don’t realize that. When you are living towards your dream there is a belief that when you get said dream all will be well in the world. You won’t have to struggle with the mind-numbing things like paying bills, filling out forms or wrestling with your to do list… but guest what, those things NEVER go away. They are part of the “normal” part of every life. Knowing this will ground you. Will set your life’s pace. Will help you realize that life is about a flow and NOT about a race that you eventually want to get off of. Many of us have spent at least part of our life EFFORTING on that rat race wheel. It is exhausting! It gets you nowhere. It sucks the very joy from your bones’ marrow…

Today I invite you to ignore the piles of ________ (clothes, boxes, chores, goals, unfinished projects) and instead focus on what you love in your life. Start with what you already have that “works”, that brings you joy and then go into your day from that point of entry. (sigh) EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY YOU ARE SETTING THE COURSE FOR YOUR LIFE’s JOY… Do it with intention and heart and your life be once again like those afternoons you spent playing as a child using your imagination to live in your own joyful story.

Great big hugs,
Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
🙂

PS Yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of the ButterflyMoms Soul Support Group. It was absolutely fabulous to see how people’s lives had shifted! I am incredibly thankful that I have the extreme honor of being able to live my life’s purpose of being the fire that ignites people’s souls! WOW! I AM SOOOOO LUCKY!!! 🙂 THANK YOU FOR READING MY BLOG, BUYING MY BOOK, COMING TO MY WORKSHOPS, ATTENDING THE SOUL SUPPORT GROUP AND TREATING YOURSELF TO OUR RETREATS!!!

PPS Go to the ButterflyMoms Facebook page for the photos of the amazing soiree last night that was the 1 year anniversary celebration! What a night of magic and love! 🙂

PPPS In case you were wondering…

WHAT IS BUTTERFLYMOMS?
ButterflyMoms is a community of people who realize they are souls first and human being second. They want to explore more about themselves, to find out what makes them happy and how they can lead a life of purpose. It is simply about FEEDING YOUR SOUL. Although it has the name “MOMS” in the title it is more about being nurturing to your own transformation, as the butterfly is to its own metamorphosis. This community is led by Maria Salomão-Schmidt whose transformation was ignited by the birth and death of her BELOVED thirteen month old daughter Sophia (Sophalicious), the original butterfly.

*Every Thursday Night we have a BUTTERFLYMOMS SOUL SUPPORT GROUP at 783 Washington Street in Holliston, MA at 8pm that feeds your soul. They started after Maria manifested her dream…with the help of Sophia…to be a guest on THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW and every week since she had done the SOUL SUPPORT GROUP on Thursday nights. There was only supposed to be one workshop but people kept asking to be able to come the next week and the next week and the next week until a whole year has gone by!!!!Any questions call my cell at 617.877.3616.

*Every Friday Morning, as a way of honoring her daughter Sophia’s soul, Maria gets up at 4:30-5:00am to write the weekly BUTTERFLYMOMS BLOG. Hundreds of people read it every week to feed their souls. Maria started writing the blog in May 2009 and has written EVERY Friday since. Tell your friends… http://butterflymoms.wordpress.com
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? MORE WAYS TO FEED YOUR SOUL…

√ Next BUTTERFLYMOMS SOUL SUPPORT GROUP is Thursday, May 31 at 8pm. It is a wonderful way to come learn to feed your magnificent soul!…The ButterflyMoms Soul Support Group grew out of the amazing experience had of being on of THE OPRAH SHOW’s very last guests. Now it’s your turn to come to this safe place where you can work out your blocks and talk about your dreams!!! Held at the offices of Brick House Realty (783 Washington S, Holliston, MA). Plenty of FREE & EASY PARKING in the back lot… and come right in the back entrance. Only $25, or just $20 if pay through Paypal http://bit.ly/mS7c70. RSVPing this time is necessary so we have enough supplies for the surprises that are going to happen! 🙂 Bring your friends!!!

√ I have space for one more coaching clients. If you are interested send me an email maria @butterflymoms.com

√ Here is the magnificent ButteflyMoms interview on Nancy L. Cantor‘s Dream Factory Television Show… I hope you watch it and that it feeds your soul! ! http://vimeo.com/30095902

√ No ENTREPRENEUR MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE books sold this week. If you have been thinking about starting a business or want to take your business to the next level this is a wonderful way to start. WAY cheaper than going back to school…and very helpful! To feed the soul of a friend buy them a copy by CLICKING HERE NOW… http://bit.ly/gRxe4U. PLUS each book is personally (and lovingly) autographed.

TODAY, AS YOU ENTER YOUR INNER WORLD WITH THE HELP OF THE BUTTERFLYMOMS BLOG, GIVE YOUR SELF THE GIFT OF TAKING A DEEP, LUSCIOUS CLEANSING BREATH…. IN… HOLD……… OUT……..…AHHHHHHH. NOW WIGGLE YOUR TOESIES….GROUND YOUR SELF…. FEEL HOW VEEEEEEEERY GOOD IT FEELS TO FEEL…YESSSSSSSSSSSSS! It’s all FEEDBACK TO GET YOU BACK TO YOUR JOY…. YOUR CHOICE… Now let’s begin today’s adventure…

Sweet ButterflyMoms,

Inside of each one of us is a voice. It is our original voice, a voice without fear, a voice that is the core essence of who we are. Over time, as we develop our brain, the ability to communicate and the desire to be accepted by others covers over that little voice. Like a once precious childhood item that gets buried in a stuffy attic we lose our deepest connection to who we are. Over time more and more stuff gets piled up in that attic and soon the task of finding it seems so HUGE that we put it off…many times until it is too late.

DEEP BREATH HERE….AHHHHHHHHHHH!

Our world is shifting. I’ve written a lot about that. Are you feeling it? Thirty years ago if a man cried he was weak. If you went to a mental health specialist, you were crazy. If you worked, you were a bad mom. If you were gay, you were an abomination and somehow seen as not human. Although there are some people that still believe in these, for the most part society overall has done a huge shift into awareness and acceptance. As a whole our society has moved up the chakras and is now starting to enter the heart….AHHHHHHHH, the magic of the fourth chakra! The heart, energetically speaking is that meeting place where your lower self meets your higher self. It is the bridge of those two worlds. Without your heart there is deep and permanent chasm of disconnection.

In many ways your little voice, for many of us, is that of our hearts. It reminds me of a very young child who has much older siblings that are always louder and more forceful about what gets done and who gets heard. Can you picture what I mean? How is your heart feeling today? Be present with what feedback comes back. There is no good. There is no bad. Feelings are feelings. If you have not used yours in a while they may be a bit overwhelming but just be present with them for they are the guidance system towards finding your little voice. 🙂

Love to you! (and lots of it!)

Great big hug luscious hugs,

Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

🙂

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

P.S. Here’s an idea for a FABULOUS VALENTINE’s GIFT…(SOUND THE TRUMPETS) LADIES AND GENTLEEN ANNOUNCING…GET YOUR CALENDAR OUT…The ButterflyMoms ONE DAY RETREAT is Saturday, March 24 at 8am-5pm at the wonderful PEACE ABBEY in Sherborn, Massachusetts, the place that Mother Theresa helped build something so magical. Some of our world’s most magnificent people have been there like Maya Angelou, Mohammad Ali, Joan Baez… we now will have the honor of having our first day-long ButterflyMoms Retreat.…it will be a fun, transformational, heart-felt day filled with Yoga, Workshops, Hypnosis, Meditation, Shamanic Journeying, Breathing Work and much more! Price is only $212 including all supplies, meals and workshops. If you buy your spot before February 29th it is only $149, a savings of $63! YES! Space it limited however so guarantee YOUR SPOT NOW by either clicking here https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=V446L9J3TZXRA or sending your check to Maria Salomão-Schmidt, 783 Washington St, Holliston, MA 01746. Any questions call Maria at 617.877.3616. BRING YOUR FRIENDS!

PPS. Help me support my dream :)… It’s been TWENTY YEARS in the making!!!! Entrepreneurial Moms Extraordinaire is the amazing wisdom of 21 entrepreneurial moms who are passing on their knowledge to those who don’t have time for beating around the bush! We all need to make money and live our lives well NOW. YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!! Please order it now and join the hundreds of happy readers before you who took the leap of faith in helping someone grow…http://bit.ly/gRxe4U

WHAT IS BUTTERFLYMOMS?ButterflyMoms is a community of people who realize they are souls first and human being second. They want to explore more about themselves, to find out what makes them happy and how they can lead a life of purpose. It is simply about FEEDING YOUR SOUL. Although it has the name “MOMS” in the title it is more about being nurturing to your own transformation, as the butterfly is to its own metamorphosis. This community is led by Maria Salomão-Schmidt whose transformation was ignited by the birth and death of her BELOVED thirteen month old daughter Sophia (Sophalicious), the original butterfly.

*Every Thursday Night we have a ButterflyMoms workshop at 783 Washington Street in Holliston, MA at 8pm that feeds your soul. They started after Maria manifested her dream…with the help of Sophia…to be a guest on THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW and every week since she had done the workshop on Thursday nights. Any questions call my cell at 617.877.3616.

*Every Friday Morning, as a way of honoring her daughter Sophia’s soul, Maria gets up at 4:30am to write the weekly ButterflyMoms blog. Hundreds of people read it every week to feed their souls. Maria started writing the blog in May 2009 and has written EVERY Friday since.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? MORE WAYS TO FEED YOUR SOUL…

√ ButterflyMoms ONE DAY RETREAT is Saturday, March 24 at 8am-5pm at the wonderful PEACE ABBEY in Sherborn, Massachusetts, the place that Mother Theresa helped build something so magical. Some of our world’s most magnificent people have been there like Maya Angelou, Mohammad Ali, Joan Baez… we now will have the honor of having our first day-long ButterflyMoms Retreat.…it will be a fun, transformational, heart-felt day filled with Yoga, Workshops, Hypnosis, Meditation, Shamanic Journeying, Breathing Work and much more! Price is only $212 including all supplies, meals and workshops. If you buy your spot before February 29th it is only $149, a savings of $63! YES! Space it limited however so guarantee YOUR SPOT NOW by either clicking here https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=V446L9J3TZXRA or sending your check to Maria Salomão-Schmidt, 783 Washington St, Holliston, MA 01746. Any questions call Maria at 617.877.3616. BRING YOUR FRIENDS!

√ Next ButterflyMoms Workshops is February 9 at 8pm. Come learn to feed your magnificent soul!…783 Washington St, Holliston. Plenty of FREE & EASY PARKING in back. Only $25, or just $20 if pay through Paypal http://bit.ly/mS7c70 or drop off a check.

√ I have space for two more coaching clients. If you are interested send me an email maria @butterflymoms.com

√ We released ONE ENTREPRENEUR MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE book this past week in Rutland, MA! Please help me reach my goal of selling twenty-four more books this month. If you have been thinking about starting a business or want to take your business to the next level this is a wonderful way to start. WAY cheaper than going back to school…and very helpful! To feed the soul of a friend buy them a copy by CLICKING HERE NOW… http://bit.ly/gRxe4U. PLUS each book is personally (and lovingly) autographed.

THE BOOK… “Mom Entrepreneur Extraordinaire”
The following is a list of places where ButterflyMoms live, who bought our wonderful book, MOM ENTREPRENEUR EXTRAORDINAIRE… Buy one so you can put your city/town/country on the list like so many other beautiful ButterflyMoms have!

*Just got access to my emails after about 8 weeks. Have over 8,000 emails to go through. If you sent me an email and I did not respond please don’t take it personally, I could only access emails through an iPhone and it was impossible for me to do that with such a high volume of emails. Shifting through them now. They are still trying to recover my hard drive and I would say within two weeks I will have most everything back. (fingers crossed!!!!)

*The www.butterflymoms.com website is up and hobbling along. Still needs some tweaks but there is lots you can check out like the ABC News Report by the lovely Susan Wornick under the “WATCH” section and you can also check out workshops and retreats I’m doing. 😉 Thank you for bearing with me as right now the blogs are not all there and it makes it a bit tricky to read prior blogs (for those who want to really experience how very amazing this journey has been). It will get better. For right now it is what it is. ;)…Gentle reminder to SURRENDER! 😉

As you enter today’s blog I offer a gentle reminder to just BREATHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! AHHHHHHHHHHH! Breathing makes the journey juicier! 😉

I’d like to THANK YOU for coming on this journey with me!!!! Last week over 2,000 of you came to sip on Sophia’s gifts of LOVE to us! I am DEEPLY honored. Each Friday that you SHOW UP here adds YOUR energy to BUTTERFLYMOMS and in turn gives you energy multiplied back to you! If you take a moment to be still you will feel it. How do you know it truly FEEDS your soul? The simple answer is that you know by simply asking “DOES THIS FEEL GOOD? DOES IT FILL ME WITH ENERGY? LIGHTNESS?” If something feels GOOD it is giving you energy. If it feels ICKY it’s taking away energy! By doing things like coming to BUTTERLFLYMOMS changes your whole energy vibration in the world. It makes you lighter when you open yourself up to this kind of SOUL GROWTH!!!

Still have lots going on….I’m feeling pressure at this point because this are shifting so much week to week that I might not include what I need to but that is a WONDERFUL lesson in letting go! (I guess I need a LOT of reminding around this lesson because it keeps coming up as you will see.)

Last week I started the blog out by writing WOW! WOW! WOW!…and this week has been no different. From where I left off last blog I left off with… “We had VIP seating and I sat behind Stedman and Gail for a part of the first show. Cameras were not allowed but I did sneak in my phone and so did a lot of people. After a while everyone was taking photos. It was hard though because the phone does not have zoom. This place WAS MASSIVE! I’m going to have to make this a two part blog because it’s getting too long. There is lots and lots still to talk about!”

So the rest of the night was about movie stars and heart-warming stories from everyday people who have done extraordinary things! Everyone was adding their own energy of GRATITUDE and the LOVE in the United Center just grew and grew and grew!!!! I could feel Sophia around me. It might sound strange to people but just because the person is gone does not mean the relationship is. It feels soooooo wonderful to be able to feel her. It feels like the deepest LOVE I’ve ever ffelt. It’s the type of LOVE that lifts your life standards and increase your heart’s ability to forgive and adore. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh (sigh) 😉

Where's Doug?

One story that sticks out for me is Rosie O’Donnell. She came up to us back stage like a magnet was drawing her to us. Rosie looked as surprise as we were that she was talking to us. It was only when I got home that I got my AHA MOMENT!

The front side of my vision board...One line says, "Fly like a Butterfly. Mingle like an A-lister."Other side of my Vision Board....Hello Rosie!!! 🙂 Let's work together!

I looked at my VISION BOARD and saw that Rosie O’Donnell was on there four times!!!!! I put her photos on there because to me it represented my dream of being a talk show host! You can call it what you will but it is crystal clear what it was to me…the Law of Attraction unfolding before us! SIMPLY AMAZING!

Paying it forward! Teaching my kids at Portuguese School how to create their own Vision Boards!!! They LOVED it!!!

As for the star report, most of you have probably seen the shows as they have aired but for those who did not, we rubbed elbows with Tom Cruise, Beyonce, Usher, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Queen Latifah, Michael Jordan, Steadman, Gail, Jamie Fox, Josh Grobin, Maya Angelou, Alicia Keyes, Halle Barry, Jerry Seinfeld, Tom Hanks, Madonna, Dr. Oz, Nate Berkus, Maria Shriver, Dakota Fanning, Will Smith, Rosie O’Donnell, Patti LaBelle, Diane Sawyer, etc. Seriously it was surreal and soooooo amazing! What was even more amazing was that I felt totally at ease around everyone. Sure I did the cuckoo, freak-out dance when I first saw Madonna but once I got into the groove it was totally effortless. I just SOAKED IT ALL IN!!! :)!!

This was after Oprah saw all the videos including mine! YAY!

We hardly slept that night either! We had “dinner” at 3:30am and a few hours later had to take an early morning flight back to Boston. It was AWESOME! (funny sidenote: I used to be a flight attendant and for some reason when I walk down the aisles there is almost always someone who asks me for a drink or what time we land. It does not even matter what I’m wearing. Must be “the walk” 😉 )

Leading up to May 23 there were lots and lots of commercials on ABC for the WCVB- Channel 5 piece that would run right after The Oprah Show. We were on at least once an hour on every show including The View, Ellen DeGeneres, etc.! It was completely surreal! My friend Linda was watching the Spider Man movie late one night and suddenly she sees my face on TV. She said it took her a while for it to soak in. She felt like she was in a TWILIGHT ZONE episode! 😉

Beck y was also in the segment I was in...

Now this whole time (for the last 8 weeks, in fact) I have had no real access to emails so unless you are a friend on FB, I cannot let even you know that I’m going to be on Oprah!!!! It cut my communication WAY down! I felt like a wanted to share my joy with everyone but that I could not. At this time reporters were emailing me and I had no way of knowing it. It was totally about SURRENDER. It is not something I can do easily…It is something I am learning to do because I see the benefit of it…most times 😉

I cannot say even know that I’m completely BACK INTO MY BODY. This is such an AWESOME experience that is still unfolding. Someone called Doug the other day and told him they heard my voice on HOWARD STERN!!! They played my voice from the Oprah Show about Sophia! Now tell the universe does not have a sense of humor!!!! ;)!

Thanks everyone who came for sharing in this very special moment! Soooo sweet!

People asked if they could come over for the taping and if you asked you got invited. A wonderful group showed up from all different parts of my life. It was wonderful to see! During the actual viewing I realized YET ANOTHER MIRACLE had happened. There were about 10 ULTIMATE VIEWERS that were featured on the two shows we sat in on. We taped for about 6 hours and the shows have to less than 2 hours to allow for commercials. They had to CUT OUT A WHOLE LOT! The result is that more than half of the people who went, even one woman who flew all the way from Afghanistan , were completely cut out of the TV portion of the program! They cut the woman before me, the beautiful Tamika, but they INCLUDED ME! I was actually the first person. Sooooooooo amazing! Yet another gift from our beautiful Sophia!

Because of this experience I am filled with a new energy. I know I am also born to be a teacher. I am offering workshops to help YOU get to your goals or even find those goals. They are affordable and fun! I invite you to come play with me and some of the other ButterflyMoms! Simply sign up here… www.butterflymoms.com/workshops.html.

I am deeply grateful and deeply humble by all the LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Great big hugs,

Maariaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

🙂

PS Turns out that we had sold more books this month but because my email was down I did not get those orders. Soooooo sorry to those who did not get the books sooner. They are all going out today! We have a total of three books…WHEW WHO!!!! These books are going to….(drum roll)

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